THE ROYAL SHAKESPEARE COMPANY PRESENTS A ‘RELAXED PERFORMANCE’ OF MATILDA THE MUSICAL ON SUNDAY 15 JUNE 2014 AT 3PM AT THE CAMBRIDGE THEATRE On Sunday 15th June at 3pm, the Royal Shakespeare Company will present a ‘relaxed performance’ of Matilda The Musical at the Cambridge Theatre. The National Autistic Society is working closely with the RSC on this special performance offering full access to the theatre for people with autism and learning disabilities. This first relaxed performance of Matilda The Musical builds on the programme of ‘relaxed’ performances that the RSC has been running in Stratford-upon-Avon since 2013, when it was amongst the first to adopt and promote the concept. The performance will provide a relaxed environment, with elements of the production adapted to reduce anxiety or stress. Lighting and sound levels will be adjusted to soften their impact and there will be a relaxed attitude to noise and moving around the auditorium during the performance. Designated ‘chill-out’ areas will be provided outside the auditorium with soft seating and activities for people to use if being in the auditorium becomes overwhelming for them. The Royal Shakespeare Company will offer tickets for this performance at the reduced rate of £20, booked through the RSC ticket hotline or in person at the box office. All bookers will be sent a visual story to help them familiarise themselves with the plot, characters and the setting before they arrive at the theatre. Detailed event and transport information will also be available from the dedicated ‘relaxed’ performance section of www.Matildathemusical.com Mark Lever, Chief Executive of The National Autistic Society said: “Autism is a serious, lifelong disability and the challenges the condition bring can make it difficult to enjoy activities such as trips to the theatre, which many people take for granted. It’s brilliant news that the RSC will be making adjustments to Matilda The Musical so that more people with autism and their families will be able to enjoy the magic of theatre. Tim Minchin has been a fantastic supporter of ours for many years and we’re thrilled to be working with him and all the team behind the show to put on this very special performance.” Catherine Mallyon, Executive Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company said: “I am truly delighted to announce our first relaxed performance of Matilda The Musical, building on our commitment to offer the best environment and welcome for children, young people and families who might otherwise feel excluded from our work. Many families of children with autism or children with a learning disability can be reluctant to attend public theatre performances together. Relaxed performances are a fantastic way of offering a warm and inclusive welcome to those families, giving them the chance to experience high quality, live theatre, often for the first time. We are delighted to be part of the growing number of theatres across the UK helping to make relaxed performances a standard feature of British theatre-going.” The Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical has captured the imagination of young and old alike. Over one million people have seen the show since it opened at The Courtyard Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon in November 2010. 8,000 tickets have been sold at £5 as part of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s day seats ticket scheme for 16-25 year olds. Now booking until 21 December 2014, the production continues to play to packed houses at the Cambridge Theatre in London and in New York at the Shubert Theatre. Sweeping the board at the 2012 Laurence Olivier Awards, winning a record-breaking seven awards, Matilda The Musical has gone on to take Broadway by storm winning four Tony Awards® and a Tony Honor for Excellence in the Theater for each of the four girls sharing the title role. The show has now received a total of 49 awards in Stratford-upon-Avon, London and New York. Matilda The Musical was commissioned by the RSC and played to sold-out audiences at the RSC’s The Courtyard Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon for twelve weeks from November 2010 to January 2011. It transferred to London’s West End on Tuesday 25 October 2011. The New York production of Matilda The Musical, produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company and The Dodgers, began previews on 4 March 2013 with opening night on 11 April 2013 at Broadway’s Shubert Theatre. ENDS Press Representative: Ryan Petersen and Chloe Pritchard-Gordon at The Corner Shop PR on 020 7831 7657 [email protected] / [email protected] LISTINGS MATILDA THE MUSICAL Relaxed performance Sunday 15 June 2014 3pm Cambridge Theatre, Earlham Street, WC2H 9HU Booking until 21 December 2014 Tickets for this performance can be booked through the RSC Ticket Hotline 0844 800 1110 or in person at the Cambridge Theatre. NOTES TO EDITORS The Creative Team Matilda The Musical is written by playwright Dennis Kelly, with music and lyrics by the anarchic Australian comedian, musician and composer Tim Minchin, and direction by Matthew Warchus. The production is designed by Rob Howell, with choreography by Peter Darling, orchestrations additional music and musical supervision by Christopher Nightingale, lighting by Hugh Vanstone, sound by Simon Baker and the special effects and illusions are by Paul Kieve. Images and footage from the production are available from The Corner Shop The original cast recording of Matilda the Musical is available from iTunes and on CD. Recorded in a studio by the original Stratford-upon-Avon cast, the album includes 17 original numbers from the production, including When I Grow Up, Revolting Children and The Smell of Rebellion. The CD is available from the RSC Shop - www.rsc.org.uk/shop, iTunes, or via the Matilda The Musical website www.matildathemusical.com Matilda The Musical is produced in the West End by the Royal Shakespeare Company with André Ptaszynski and Denise Wood as Executive Producers. This production was developed with the support of the RSC Literary Department and THE DRUE HEINZ TRUST. American Airlines is the preferred airline for Matilda The Musical About the National Autistic Society The National Autistic Society is the UK's leading charity for people with autism and their families. Founded in 1962, it continues to spearhead national and international initiatives and provide a strong voice for all people with autism. The NAS provides a wide range of services to help people with autism and Asperger syndrome live their lives with as much independence as possible. The NAS relies on the support of its members and donors to continue its vital work for people with autism. To become a member, make a donation or to find out more about the work of the NAS, visit the NAS website www.autism.org.uk For more information about autism and for help in your area, call the NAS Autism Helpline on: 0808 800 4104 10am-4pm, Monday to Friday, (free from landlines and most mobiles). For further information relating to the National Autistic Society and autism, please contact: Andrew Willard: [email protected] / 020 7903 3545 Relaxed Performances at the RSC In January 2013, the RSC was amongst the first group of theatres in the UK to pilot Relaxed Performances with a specially adapted production of The Mouse and his Child. Since then, relaxed performances have become a regular feature of RSC programming, the most recent being Wendy and Peter Pan. .